What does Brexit mean for London?

Clearly a lot of the comments on this matter do not understand why people voted for Brexit. It was more about the desire to live in a free and democratic country rather than be governed by bureaucrats in Brussels. Many also considered that the country will do financially better outside the EU even if we would like to retain a good trading relationship with the EU. Mrs May's solution is an attempt to meet the desires of the country while having minimal financial impact even if not everyone agreed with all aspects of it. Even if there was a hard brexit, the financial impact would be very small and nothing like the scare stories promoted by some people.

But London is not a separate country and the Mayor Sadiq Khan should stick to his day job and avoid stirring in national politics. He has enough problems to deal with (crime, transport, housing to name just 3) without make ill-informed comments on Brexit. He seems to be supporting Brexit simply because more people voted to remain in London than voted to leave the EU, but his comments on the subject are simply irresponsible and will not help to solve the national political crisis.

What ever happens (because who knows), London is a resilient place that has survived many problems. Looking forward, searching out opportunities and using the energy and differing skills of all Londoners.

Changes for London will depend on time scales being considered, as well as the nature of Brexit .
Regarding the political and administrative arrangements for London over the medium to longer term it may be that London will form an independent city state. After all the political structures of the British Isles have not been constant over time. In the short to medium term a possibly more realistic option is for a substantial devolution of power to London and the other regions of the country. The feeling of powerlessness and distance from decision makers is I think a major cause of dissatisfaction across society. Devolution would allow London to set its own priorities, that suit the population of London, and similarly for other areas of the country.
Regarding particular priority policy areas, I think across the discussion thread many have been already mentioned; development of renewable energy infrastructure (after all the likely impacts of climate change on London will dwarf that of Brexit), affordable housing for rent (perhaps a silver lining of a chaotic Brexit), food security and support for research and development (which stands to lose out badly post Brexit).
One last point, regarding ‘young people’. The majority work very hard at gaining education, skills and experience to make the very best of their life opportunities. Some clearly do not. The same can be said for ‘middle age’ people, ‘older people’ and people from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds. People are people.

What we should do is insist that our mayor stops sulking, the result of the referendom whilst close was clear, we were promised by both parties that the result of the referendom would be honoured and we would leave Europe, parties now putting all sorts of obstructions in the way of this is less than dis-engenuous. it is frankly a betrayal, anybody complaining about lies and mis-truths during the campaign cannot have only one version of the truth.

39 billion pounds over two years, my maths may be rusty but still seems to be 350 million a week.

What we need is a joined up political class to put their personal preferences to one side, wether they feel they are agents or representatives they cannot back-track on their own promises to the electorate, we are leaving, we must leave and we must celebrate being British once again.

Our leaders should get out of their nice comfortable offices, stop the doom gloom and despondancy, stop the scare mongering and sell our great cities for what they truly are. Wonderful, vibrant and eautiful places to live and work. I suggest all the doom mongers stop waiting indoor for the latest delivery of food or household essentials and take a walk, go visit the parks and public spaces around, take a look at the areas on your doorstep, you may be surprised, cetainly you cannot fail to be impressed. 

Maybe that is why we are picking up huge amounts of investment from national and international organisations, the city, west end and Canary Wharf district is expanding, not shutting down, previously derelict regions are being re-claimed, infrastructure is being developed.

Again stop sulking, stop hating change, embrace the opportunities and challenges, the status quo is not always the best option.

London has been diverse, cosmopolitan city for a millennium or more. It's what makes it such a great city and place to live. We need to continue to affirm that, especially in the face of the rise of far Right extreme politics at home and abroad.

you know in France and Italy for example being a waiter/waitress is a profession and they have schools and certificates but the people of this country seem to think it is below them to wait table, clean or work in the service industry.  We are totally reliant on people from the EU with a bit of luck the British will get off their lazy backsides and do some work. As for the rest London has always attracted skilled workers and of course we make mega bucks from tourism.  The rest of the world loves our Queen and as for our pomp and circumstance, no-one does it better. So,hotels, restaurants, pubs, theatres always full. The City has always been a world centre for finance and will continue to do so. Get rover the doom and gloom, Europe is very small on the world stage and in decline. We need to concentrate on the countries on the way up.

Well I've  said before the negotiators are more interested in money than people.

Also basic reassurances that Au pares, student exchange, movement of Eu Nationals Nd British can travel with passports,  (not free movement.) Should have been top of their list.

Why imply that general labourers from the EU would not be welcome, only braliny ones!

I do not know if you know but in 2020 the EU are introducing 3 year visas (€10) for all non- EU countries?

Will UK government do something similar or will they shout democracy and whisper " we don't  want to lose tourist ££££!!"

It appears this government worship money not people!

Everyone should be ashamed.

Food banks? Where there any in our country during the two world wars.

this is an opportunity for all. a flat playing field for skilled and highly skilled workers. yes the real ones. not the political ones we allow to fill meniall roles described as skilled for the sake of political correctness.

London has always been open to the best and why would this change. We are seeing those who love London, love the UK or just love our money... Those money grabbing superficial wastes of space can leave London and go elsewhere with their skills and good ridance..

This is a fantastic chance for London to make the most of this semi Brexit and become a free port financially and economicially. All right, London will have to spread to Tilbury for the economic bit, but hey ho..

Come on London. Come on Brexit. Good bye money grabbing free loaders

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said that “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” Were voters sufficiently knowledgeable on what the EU membership was or was not to decide what the UK should do?

The 2016 referendum was triggered by a long running disagreement within the Tories party on European membership and not by the public. Cameron had made a deal and found himself trapped. With a bit of forward thinking the referendum should have been carried out after fully assessing the options available but it wasn’t, and the extremely complex matter of the UK EU membership was decided on the back of a REMAIN or LEAVE referendum where immigration took central stage. Cameron gambled and lost. No safeguards were in place for a LEAVE vote.

Now is the time, to get back to the people, provide the facts and ask them again what they want. The reality is that the UK can still revoke article 50 and stay in the EU if the people want too. It can retain control of its borders (The UK is not in Schengen), the UK has got it own currency and can make its own monetary decisions (The UK is not in the Euro) and its parliament is sovereign. This deal is the best deal of any EU member state by a mile and is far, far superior to the May deal or a “no deal” that would see the economy contract by more than 8% and create a recession.

For London to escape this chaos, it would need to remain an attractive business hub and place for people to live & work. London will need to lead with innovation, investing in new & current industries ( Clean technologies,  People centric Pharmaceutical research, Entertainment industry….etc), attracting the best people, having a good quality local workforce and a reliable infrastructure, being safe, multi-cultural and clean. This is no Utopia, it can be done! 

To read the doom and gloom on here is to see a world detached from reality. Unemployment is at record lows, employment at record highs. Wages are growing at their fastest pace in a decade. Look at the innumerable cranes on the London skyline. This is a city which is growing and thriving. All the opposite of what Project Fear told us. We have nothing to fear from Brexit. 

Perhaps a strange day to remind peoppe to have their say on the impact of Brexit as the Prime Minister awaits the result of a vote of confidence and the outcome of the referendum is less clear than when it was announced. In a state of optimism, I would like to say that as we are not leaving the EU, Lomdon will soon be able to get on with being the great city it has always been. If I dare myself to look at the armageddon option of us actually leaving the EU then here are a few things that will happen to London: immigration will continue at current levels or greater although the primary origins will switch back to Asia rather than Europe; London's position as global financial leader will start to wane; the suspicion the rest of the country has of London will rise to the extent the capital effectively becomes a cultural and economic island; once again bars and restaurants will be staffed by Antipodean backpackers; the more money that is pumped into health services the worse they will become due to lack of staff; the term rejoiner will be coined; Wetherspoon's will be overcrowded as Tim Martin commits to his Brexit pledge of lower prices while prices rise everywhere else; protests turn to riots as the populus realise that they never had control so they can't take it back; social media will turn us all agiant each other and leave us cowering in our homes (if we have one) ... or we'll get on with our lives.

Both my husband and I run small businesses. There's not a lot of cushion. So if the general economy goes down, then we suffer. And with Brexit the economy will suffer. How does it benefit the UK to be free from the EU but so poor that everyone is unemployed?

I want Brexit to end.